Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1887-1890, 1887-06-11
THE FUTURE GREAT CITY.

:, what Correspondent Says of Great
: FalIs-FavorabIy Impressed.
: GREAT FALLS, May 1S.-As this place
will soon be one of the most important
cities in the northwest, some information
as to its present condition may be of in
5 terest to your readers
-Four years ago J. J. Hill, whose native
place is the township of Nassagaweya, in
] your county, and who is now the president
: of the st. Paul, Minneapolis & Manitoba
railroad, and reputed to be worth over S16,-
100000, acquired several thousand acres
: OF land around the upper falls of the Mis-
} souri,. He then determined to build up a
. large manufacturing city here and, asso-
elatlng other millionaries with him, ac-
CURED additional thousands of acres, so as
to preclude all possibility of rival towns
in the neighborhood, or even of additions
being laid out by parties not in the com
pany. He also determined to extend his
railroad westward from Devils Lake,
across Dakota, and up the Missouri to
Great Falls, where, with the aid of I'M
limited water power, a second Minneapo-
lis is to be built. To carry out this scheme
1t was necessary to obtain right t-of-way
across about five hundred miles of Indian
reservation. A year ago the bill granting
the rlght-of-Way passed both houses of
| congress, but was vetoed by President
Cleveland. Last winter it was again pass
ed, was signed by the president, and now
an army OF 5000 men and 5000 teams, to be
| largely reinforced within thirty DAYS, are
carrying the great work to completion
| THE TOWNSHIP.
| The land acquired by the company is
for the most part gently indulating prai-
RE, having several miles of water front on
each side of the river. Toward the lower
end of the tract are the Black Eagle falls,
or Upper Falls of the Missouri, where the
mighty river takes a direct leap Of 81 feet,
given, with the rapids above, over so feet
head, and constituting, an available water
to which the Falls of st. Anthony, that
built up Minneapolis are comparatively
Insignificant. An eminent hydraulic en-
gineer is now at work surveying these falls.
Three miles below the Black Eagle are
the Rainbow falls, the most picturesque Of
the series, and five miles below them are
the Great Falls which have a vertical drop
Of SO feet. Between the falls mentioned
are very small ones, the total fall in twelve
miles being over 800 feet
Three years ago an immense toWnsite
was laid out on the east side of the Mis-
souri,, and q small population settled near
one end OF it. This settlement increased
slowly until this spring, when the certain.
ty OF the railroad reaching it next fall at
tracted attention to the place, and it now
numbers about 1000 souls, with good
prospect of having 1000 next fall.
HOUSES AND LOTS.
The first settlers obtained lots in the
present business center, 5Ox150 feet, at $75
to $3.50. A little later the prices advanced
several hundred per cent. Last fall they
We're advanced to $4,000 for corner lots on
the principal streets; lots sold under build
ing conditions on1y;a and recently another
advance of 25 per cent. was made. The
prices of the best lots run from $4,000 to
$4,000, and are graded down until the dis
tant building lots cost S4OO. These appal-
all newcomers. They say ssWhy. such
prices might be justifiable if there was a
city already built here, but there is not.
and there is no justification for Chicago
prices here" But upon investigation
they usually end by purchasing business
lots. The programme upon which the
above figures are based is this: Great
Falls will be the terminus of the Manitoba
and Montana Central railroads, and the
immense terminal works of these roads
will be established here. In few weeks
Will be commenced the erection of the
greatest machine shops and round houses
west of st. Paul.
EXTENSIVE REDUCTION WORKS.
Before next fall a branch will be laid
,ut to the Neihart mining district, passing
through the great coal and iron deposits
If Sand Coulee, eight miles distant The
soal makes frst-elas coke, and the iron
produces the finest Bessemer steel. Great
melting works, to reduce the iron ore. as
veil as the gold, silver, lead and copper
res from Neinart, and other districts. will
se erected at the falls Rolling mills.
ar shops, &c, of vast capacity will be es.
and all the rails and rolling
took for the Montana Central will be
here
In Sand Coulee there are inexhaustibIe
edges OF beautiful brown building stone,
which is being used in some of the best
buildings here.
From the industries already guaranteed
Is evident that there will soon be several
louSand WOrkmen ranI1iarfu a1nnInuad
ere, representing a population of 10000
'eople, and when the great army of rail-
DAD builders arrives here next October.
{ will be one of the IYeliest settlements
4 America
Just across the river the Sun river puts
4 from the west. 1t drains beau iful
nd fertile valley for over 100 miles, up
fhleh branch OF the Manitoba will be
usled IN the near future.
Then the Northern Pacific will soon
work on its branch from Ri.